[Postoperative gastrointestinal transit. Results of the measurement of segmental transit times]

The postoperative transit times of radioopaque markers through the gastrointestinal tract where measured in 6 patients after gastric surgery, in 13 patients after cholecystectomy, in 10 patients after appendicectomy and in 7 other patients who underwent general anesthesia without laparotomy. After ingestion of 20 markers, overall and segmental transit times were calculated according to their distribution on serial plain films of the abdomen taken 6 and 24 h after the operation, and every 24 h thereafter until complete evacuation of the markers. Overall transit times of the 3 groups of patients with laparotomy (171, 130 and 113 h respectively) were greater than overall transit times of patients without laparotomy (25 h). Overall transit times of patients with gastric operations were greater than overall transit times of patients with cholecystectomy (p less than 0.05) or appendicectomy (p less than 0.01). The increase in overall transit time was mainly due to an increased gastric transit time in patients after gastric surgery and an increased transit time through the right colon in patients who underwent cholecystectomy and appendicectomy. Once markers began to be defecated, their disappearance rate was the same in the 4 groups of patients. These results show that an increased overall transit time may be the consequence either of an increased transit time through the stomach or through the right colon, depending on the type of operation. As well, when digestive propulsive activity returns, it is de novo normal.